Image recording medium and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An image recording medium includes a support and a first electrode layer, a reading photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to a reading electromagnetic wave, a charge accumulating portion which accumulates an electric charge of a latent image polarity generated in a recording photoconductive layer, the recording photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to a recording electromagnetic wave and a second electrode layer which are superposed on the support one on another in this order. At least one of the recording photoconductive layer and the reading photoconductive layer is formed of a material containing a-Se as a major component and doped with a material for suppressing bulk crystallization of a-Se.

1. An image recording medium comprising a support permeable to a reading electromagnetic wave and a first electrode layer permeable to the reading electromagnetic wave, a reading photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to the reading electromagnetic wave, a charge accumulating portion which accumulates an electric charge of a latent image polarity generated in a recording photoconductive layer, the recording photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to a recording electromagnetic wave and a second electrode layer permeable to the recording electromagnetic wave which are superposed on the support one on another in this order,
 wherein the recording photoconductive layer is formed of a material containing a-Se as a major component and doped with a material for suppressing bulk crystallization of a-Se, and  
 wherein the second electrode layer is formed on the recording photoconductive layer by vapor deposition.  
 
     
     
       2. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 1  in which said material for suppressing bulk crystallization of a-Se is As. 
     
     
       3. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 2  in which said at least one of the recording photoconductive layer and the reading photoconductive layer is doped with As in an amount of 0.1 to 0.5 atom %. 
     
     
       4. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 2  in which said at least one of the recording photoconductive layer and the reading photoconductive layer is doped with Cl in addition to As. 
     
     
       5. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 4  in
 which said at least one of the recording photoconductive layer and the reading photoconductive layer is doped with Cl in amount of 10 to 50 ppm.  
 
     
     
       6. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 1  in which the recording photoconductive layer is 400 to 1000 μm in thickness. 
     
     
       7. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 6  in which the recording photoconductive layer is 700 to 1000 μm in thickness. 
     
     
       8. An image recording medium comprising a support permeable to a reading electromagnetic wave and a first electrode layer permeable to the reading electromagnetic wave, a reading photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to the reading electromagnetic wave, a charge transfer layer which behaves like a substantially insulating material to an electric charge of a latent image polarity generated in a recording photoconductive layer and behaves like a substantially conductive material to the electric charge of the polarity opposite to the latent image polarity, the recording photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to a recording electromagnetic wave and a second electrode layer permeable to the recording electromagneticwave which are superposed on the support one on another in this order,
 wherein the charge transfer layer is formed of a material containing a-Se as a major component and doped with a material for suppressing bulk crystallization of a-Se, and  
 wherein the second electrode layer is formed on the recording photoconductive layer by vapor deposition.  
 
     
     
       9. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 8  in which the charge transfer layer is doped with As in an amount of 0.1 to 0.5 atom % and with Cl in amount of 10 to 50 ppm. 
     
     
       10. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 8  in which the recording photoconductive layer is 400 to 1000 μm in thickness. 
     
     
       11. An image recording medium as defined in  claim 10  in which the recording photoconductive layer is 700 to 1000 μm in thickness. 
     
     
       12. A method of manufacturing an image recording medium comprising a support permeable to a reading electromagnetic wave and a first electrode layer permeable to the reading electromagnetic wave, a reading photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to the reading electromagnetic wave, a charge accumulating portion which accumulates an electric charge of a latent image polarity generated in a recording photoconductive layer, the recording photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to a recording electromagnetic wave and a second electrode layer permeable to the recording electromagnetic wave which are superposed on the support one on another in this order, the method characterized in that the recording photoconductive layer is formed in a thickness of 200 to 1000 μm by resistance heating deposition of an alloy material containing therein Se as a major component and doped with 0.1 to 0.5 atom % of As and 10 to 50 ppm of Cl,
 wherein the second electrode layer is formed on the recording photoconductive layer by vapor deposition, after the recording photoconductive layer is formed.  
 
     
     
       13. A method as defined in  claim 12  in which the recording photoconductive layer is formed in a thickness of 400 to 1000 im. 
     
     
       14. A method as defined in  claim 13  in which the recording photoconductive layer is formed in a thickness of 700 to 1000 μm. 
     
     
       15. A method of manufacturing an image recording medium comprising a support permeable to a reading electromagnetic wave and a first electrode layer permeable to the reading electromagnetic wave, a reading photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to the reading electromagnetic wave, a charge transfer layer which behaves like a substantially insulating material to an electric charge of a latent image polarity generated in a recording photoconductive layer and behaves like a substantially conductive material to the electric charge of the polarity opposite to the latent image polarity, the recording photoconductive layer which exhibits conductivity upon exposure to a recording electromagnetic wave and a second electrode layer permeable to the recording electromagnetic wave which are superposed on the support one on another in this order, the method characterized in that the recording photoconductive layer is formed in a thickness of 200 to 1000 μm by resistance heating deposition of an alloy material containing therein Se as a major component and doped with 0.1 to 0.5 atom % of As and 10 to 50 ppm of Cl,
 wherein the second electrode layer is formed on the recording photoconductive layer by vapor deposition, after the recording photoconductive layer is formed.  
 
     
     
       16. A method as defined in  claim 15  in which the recording photoconductive layer is formed in a thickness of 400 to 1000 μm. 
     
     
       17. A method as defined in  claim 16  in which the recording photoconductive layer is formed in a thickness of 700 to 1000 μm.